Feeding CNM Students Appetite For Fresh Food.

In the featured photo above: Alison Samario (center) takes an order from CNM students David Thomas (left) and Trent James (right) (Wade Faast/CNM Chronicle)

Story and Photographs by Wade Faast

Husband and wife team, Alison and Saul Samario serve fresh burgers and home style food to CNM students from their food truck Alison’s Homestyle Cooking.

Their most popular item with students is the double green chili bacon cheese burger, Saul said.

A bacon cheese burger is finished off with a side of chips and pickle slice before being served to a CNM student. (Wade Faast/ CNM Chronicle)

Saul works the grill while Alison takes orders, he said.

“The students are starving for an education, CNM feeds their mind, we feed their stomachs” Alison said.

24 years ago Alison started with a hotdog cart intending to earn an extra income, within 2 years she bought the food truck, the business went so well her husband Saul quit his job in computer programming and joined her as the cook, Alison said.

Husband Saul Samario (left) works the grill, preparing each order fresh and in under five minutes, while wife Alison takes orders and runs the window service of their food truck Alison’s Homestyle Cooking. (Wade Faast/CNM Chronicle)

Alison started out at the community center in Albuquerque, and regularly serves food to the children of those she served at the community center.

They began offering their food at main campus 3 years ago when CNM closed the cafeteria, she said.

The food truck that houses Alison’s Homestyle Cooking is the same one they bought 22 years ago, they are currently on the third engine though, she said.

“The secret ingredient is the grill” Saul said.

Like your grandmas cast iron skillet, the grill they use in the food truck is over 50 years old and well seasoned lending its own unique flavor to everything they cook on it, Saul said.

Most orders are ready in less than five minutes because the ingredients they use are fresh, he said.

All their ground beef is raw hand formed, and they never use frozen patties, Saul said.

Along with their burgers they offer burritos and many other foods, including a tortilla burger burrito that may not always be displayed on the menu, but those in the know can order them anytime, he said.

Alison’s Homestyle Cooking can be found at CNM main campus in the food truck area Wednesday through Friday, Alison said.